The U.S. navy and merchant marine outlaw flogging

Historical Context Note

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In 1850 Congress outlawed flogging on board US Navy ships. The ban followed years of petitioning to end the practice. Opposition had increased following the publication of Herman Melville's 1850 novel

White-Jacket

, which contained a vivid description of the brutality and inhumane nature of flogging.

43 words

10913 The U.S. navy and merchant marine outlaw flogging 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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